Apparatus for spacing conductors



Dec. 13, 1966 M. BETHEA, JR 3,291,892

APPARATUS FOR SPACING CONDUCTORS Filed Dec. 27, 1965 Malcolm Be'flzeqlr: M 4, MY W A/ioflYggS United States Patent O 3,291,892 APPARATUS FOR SPACING CONDUCTORS Malcolm Bethea, Jr., P.0. Box 1407, Birmingham, Ala. Filed Dec. 27, 1965, Ser. No. 516,591 4 Claims. (Cl. 174-42) This invention relates to a process and apparatus for spacing subconductors of one phase of a transmission line whereby the sub-conductors are not only held in spaced relation to each other but vibration of the conductors is reduced to a minimum.

An object of my invention is to provide a process and apparatus of the character designated wherein the vibration of a section of a conductor is out of phase with the vibration of an adjacent section of conductor to thereby dampen vibration of the suspended conductor system.

Another object of my invention is to provide a process and apparatus for spacing sub-conductors which shall include a plurality of spacer elements which extend diagonally relative to the sub-conductors whereby the lengths of the sub-conductors extending between adajcent spacer elements are different and thus vibrate at different frequencies to dampen vibration.

A further object of my invention is to provide a process and apparatus for spacing sub-conductors of the character designated in which the spacer elements are mounted at longitudinally spaced intervals along suspended conductors with adjacent spaces between the spacer elements being different in length to thus further dampen vibration of the suspended conductors.

A more specific object of my invention is to provide a process and apparatus for spacing sub-conductors which shall convert a portion of the lateral motion of the conductors relative to each other, such as occurs during short circuits, into longitudinal motion and tension changes so as to convert a portion of the energy of lateral movement into longitudinal effects thus dampening the lateral motion.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a spacer element for spacing suspended sub-conductors which shall be extremely simple of construction, economical of manufacture and one which may be'installed with a minimum of effort.

As is well known in the art to which my invention relates, transmission lines tend to vibrate with a natural frequency depending upon the physical properties of the conductors, such as lengths, weight and the like. That is to say, wind causes vibration of the suspended conductors and if the buildup of vibration is not dampened excessive build-up of movement often occurs in the transmission line which causes severe damage to the conductors. Also, heavy currents, such as short circuits often occur in two or more sub-conductors that make up a bundle, thus causing the conductors to pull or be forced toward each other. These forces often cause the subconductors of a bundle to strike each other violently thus causing up and down motion as well as rotary and lateral motion of the conductors and in turn causing excessive vibration and motion.

To overcome the above and other difficulties, Iprovide a plurality of diagonal spacer elements which are secured to two or more conductors to hold the conductors in spaced relation to each other and at the same time transfer lateral motion of the conductors into longitudinal motion or tension to thus dampen vibration or motion of adjacent conductor sections. Also, the diagonal spacer elements extend diagonally in different directions whereby the length of adjacent conductor sections are different to thus cause the adjacent conductor sections to vibrate at different frequencies which tend to dampen each other.

Apparatus embodying features of my invention is illus- Patented Dec. 13, 1966 trated in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a pair of overhead conductors suspended from a support and showing two spacer elements secured in place;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, plan view, partly broken away showing a plurality of spacer elements secured to a pair of parallel suspended conductors;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing a single spacer element secured at opposite ends to parallel suspended conductors;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 3; and,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view taken general-1y along the line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawing for a better understanding of my invention, I show parallel suspended conductors 10 and 11 which are supported by suitable supports, one

of which is indicated generally at 12. Extending between and secured to the conductors 10 and 11 are longitudinally spaced spacer elements 13 and 14. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the spacer elements 13 are diagonally inclined in one direction and the spacer elements 14 are diagonally inclined in the opposite direction to define between adjacent spacer elements 13 and 14 a short conductor span 16 and a longer conductor span 17.

Also, as shown in FIG. 2, the spacer elements 13 and 14- are mounted whereby adjacent spaces between the spacer elements are different in length. For example, in FIG. 2, I show the spacer elements 13 and 14 as being spaced 140 feet from each other adjacent the center of the span. The next successive spaces between the spacer elements 13 and 14 are 135 and feet in length. I show a distance of 67 feet between the spacer elements 13 and 14 and the support for the suspended conductors 1t) and 11. While I have shown specific distances between the spacer elements 13 and 14 in FIG. 2 of the drawing, it. will be apparent that I do not desire to be limited to the specific lengths since the distance between adjacent spacer elements may be varied.

Thespacer elements 13 and 14 are substantially identical in structure, the only difference being that the spacer elements are mounted whereby one extends diagonally in one direction and the other extends diagonally in the opposite direction to provide the short and long span 16 and 17, respectively, between adjacent spacer elements. Each spacer element 13 and 14 comprises a pair of elongated members 18 and 19 facing each other, as

shown in FIG. 4. A clamping jaw 18 is provided adjacent each end of the elongated member 18 which is adapted to cooperate with an adjacent clamping jaw 19 provided at each end of the elongated member 19. That is, the clamping jaws 18 and 19 face inwardly toward each other to clamp the conductors 10 and 11 therebe tween.

Aligned openings 21 and 22 are provided through the elongated members 18 and 19 inwardly of the clamping jaws 18 and 19 for receiving bolts 23 which are secured in place by nuts 24. The elongated members 18 and 19 are formed of a resilient material and are spaced from each other whereby the clamping element 18* and 1) are in position to move into clamping engagement with the conductors 10 and 11 while the facing portions of the elongated members 18 and 19 inwardly of the conductors are in spaced relation to each other, as shown in FIG. 4.

The clamping element 18 is provided with a longitudinally extending conductor receiving recess 26 which extends parallel to the conductors 10 and 11, as the case may be. In like manner, the clamping element 19 is provided with a longitudinally extending conductor receiving recess 27 in position to engage the opposite side of the conductor from that engaged by a recess 26 whereby the conductor is clamped in place between the longitudinally extending recesses 26 and 27, as shown in FIG. 5. Preferably, the ends of the conductor receiving recesses 26 and 27 are curved outwardly, as shown. Also, the clamping elements 18 and 19 are preferably formed integrally with the ends of the elongated members 18 and 19 whereby a semi-rigid structure is formed.

From the foregoing description, the operation of my improved process and apparatus for spacing conductors will be readily understood. The spaced elements 13 and 14 are attached to the conductors whereby adjacent spacer elements are inclined in different directions, as shown in FIG. 2, to provide a short span 16 of one conductor and a longer span 17 of another conduct-or between each adjacent pair of spacer elements 13 and 14. Accordingly, when the conductors and 11 are forced or pulled in a lateral direction toward and away from each other, the lateral force is transmitted by the diagonal spacers 13 and 14 into a longitudinal force parallel to the conductors 10 and 11. That is, any force tending to move the conductors 10 and 11 toward each other, as would be the case where short circuits occur, causes the diagonal spacers 13 and 14 to exert a force in the direction the spacer is inclined whereby the shorter span section 16 would have less force applied thereto and the longer span section 17 would have a greater force applied thereto. Tension would thus be increased in the longer span 17 between adjacent spacers 13 and 14 while decreased tension would exist in the shorter span 16. In other words, by providing the diagonal spacer elements 13 and 14, I divert perpendicular, short-circuit forces to longitudinal forces which are different from each other at opposite ends of the spacer elements 13 and 14, thereby dampening vibration of the conductor spans extending between adjacent spacer elements 13 and 14. That is, since the span 16 is of a different length from span 17 and there is a decrease in tension in the span 16 while there is an increase in tension in the span 17, the spans 16 and 17 will vibrate at different frequencies which tend to dampen each other.

The spacer elements 13 and 14 are also mounted at longitudinally spaced intervals along the suspended conductors with adjacent spaces between the spacer elements being different in length, as shown in FIG. 2. Accordingly, we not only have different span lengths of the conductors between adjacent spacer elements but adjacent spaces between the spacer elements are different in length thus further tending to dampen vibration since the various sections of the suspended conductors would vibrate at different frequencies.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have devised an improved process and apparatus for spacing conductors. By providing diagonal spacers which are secured to the suspended conductors with the spacer elements extending at an oblique angle relative to the suspended conductors, I convert transverse motion or motion perpendicular to the conductors into some longitudinal motion and tension which causes the conductor spans between adjacent spacer elements to vibrate at different frequencies which tend to dampen out each other. I also divide the suspended conductors into a multiplicity of unequal lengths which vibrate at various frequencies to dampen vibration of each other. I thus provide artifical nodes or establish half wave points along the conductors which are at locations not ordinarily occupied by the natural nodes at which the particular suspended conductors vibrate. Also, by providing different spacings between the spacer elements 13 and 14, the adjacent sections of the suspended conductors would tend to vibrate at different frequencies which would further dampen vibration.

While I have shown the spacer elements 13 and 14 as being secured to only two conductors of an electrical transmission system, it will be apparent that diagonal spacer elements could be mounted on two or more subconductors of a bundle to thus hold a plurality of subconductors in spaced relation to each other and at the same time reduce vibration to a minimum.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

'1. A spacer for use in an overhead electrical transmission system having parallel suspended conductors,

(a) a spacer bar disposed to extend diagonally between the parallel conductors and comprising a pair of elongated members facing each other,

(b) an inwardly facing clamping element adjacent each end of each elongated member disposed to cooperate with an adjacent inwardly facing clamping element of the elongated member adjacent thereto,

(c) each clamping element having a longitudinally extending conductor receiving recess therein and being mounted adjacent each end'of said spacer bar with said spacer bar extending at an oblique angle relative to said conductor receiving recess and conductors clamped therebetween, and

(d) securing means drawing said elongated members and the clamping elements carried thereby toward other to clamp the conductors in place.

2. A spacer for use in an overhead electrical transmission system as defined in claim 1 in which said conductor clamping elements are formed integrally with each end of said spacer bar.

3. A spacer for use in an overhead electrical transmission system as defined in claim 1 in which aligned openings are provided through said elongated members inwardly of said clamping elements and securing elements pass through said aligned openings to secure said elongated members to each other.

4. A spacer for use in an overhead electrical transmission system as defined in claim 1 in which the facing portions of said elongated members between the clamping elements are formed of a resilient material and are spaced from each other so that said clamping elements are in position to move into clamping engagement with conductors while said facing portions are in spaced relation to eachother.

References Cited by the Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS 9/1958 Austria. 2/1959 Germany.

OTHER REFERENCES LARAMIE s. AsioN. r m ry Examiner. 

1. A SPACER FOR USE IN AN OVERHEAD ELECTRICAL TRANSMISSION SYSTEM HAVING PARALLEL SUSPENDED CONDUCTORS, (A) A SPACER BAR DISPOSED TO EXTEND DIAGONALLY BETWEEN THE PARALLEL CONDUCTORS AND COMPRISING A PAIR OF ELONGATED MEMBERS FACING EACH OTHER, (B) AN INWARDLY FACING CLAMPING ELEMENT ADJACENT EACH END OF EACH ELONGATED MEMBER DISPOSED TO COOPERATE WITH AN ADJACENT INWARDLY FACING CLAMPING ELEMENT OF THE ELONGATED MEMBER ADJACENT THERETO, (C) EACH CLAMPING ELEMENT HAVING A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING CONDUCTOR RECEIVING RECESS THEREIN AND BEING MOUNTED ADJACENT EACH END OF SAID SPACER BAR WITH SAID SPACER BAR EXTENDING AT AN OBLIQUE ANGLE RELATIVE TO SAID CONDUCTOR RECEIVING RECESS AND CONDUCTORS CLAMPED THEREBETWEEN, AND (D) SECURING MEANS DRAWING SAID ELONGATED MEMBERS AND THE CLAMPING ELEMENTS CARRIED THEREBY TOWARD OTHER TO CLAMP THE CONDUCTORS IN PLACE. 